Welcome to Aspen

Recognized for its idyllic setting and climate, great skiing and outdoor recreation, fantastic dining, high-end shopping, and as a popular retreat for celebrities and affluent travelers, Aspen has something for everyone. Its rich history and outdoor access add complexity to its reputation as an apres-ski, party town.

And sitting close to 8,000 feet in the Roaring Fork Valley among the Elk Mountains, Aspen is considered one of Colorado's best outdoor playgrounds.

Founded as a mining town during the Colorado silver boom, Aspen was home to thousands of fortune seekers, who rushed out west for their chance to strike it rich. However, not too long after the rise of its wealth, Aspen was devastated by the demonetization of silver - making it almost a ghost town.

Residents transitioned from miners to farmers and ranchers until the late 1930s, when skiing and the intelligencia made an appearance for the first time. Andre Roch, the famous Swiss avalanche expert, was hired to survey the area for a world-class ski resort. At that same time, locals took to Ajax and built their own "boat tow" ski lift and cleared the mountain's first run, naming it Roch's Run. Six years later, the historic Lift 1A carried its first skiers up Ajax. After that, it was all skiing, all the time.